Mo Li

The group made their way up the mountain. Along the way, Ye Li noticed several shadow guards leaving their ranks under Mo Hua's signal. She understood they were attempting to divert the pursuers who might catch up at any moment. Glancing at the silently departing shadow guards, Ye Li said nothing and quietly followed the trail left by those leading the way.

The pursuers seemed to arrive swiftly. Before long, the distant clamor of voices and the clashing of weapons could be heard, but the sounds gradually faded, clearly having been lured in the opposite direction. Mo Hua turned to look at the now-distant commotion and frowned. "Your Highness, those coming up the mountain don’t seem like the imperial pursuers."

Ye Li nodded silently. The group had just been at the foot of the mountain—only experts could have caught up so quickly. "Lei Zhenting’s men," she concluded.

Zhuo Jing explained, "The Zhennan Wang Residence has a secret private guard called the Gold-Clad Guards. They number around a thousand and usually protect the residence. Whenever Zhennan Wang goes to war, they accompany him. It’s because of them that he has narrowly escaped death on the battlefield several times. Even when he was defeated by the old prince years ago, it was the Gold-Clad Guards who sacrificed nearly their entire force to retrieve him. Though they were almost wiped out, Zhennan Wang later rebuilt them."

As they continued ascending, Ye Li asked, "The shadow guards never received intel about this?"

Zhuo Jing replied, "After the Gold-Clad Guards were nearly annihilated saving Zhennan Wang, they vanished from public view. Most assumed they no longer existed. Young Master Mingyue informed me before he left."

Walking through the forest, Ye Li pondered, "How do the Gold-Clad Guards compare to the Qilin?"

Without hesitation, Zhuo Jing answered, "They fall short. The Gold-Clad Guards are only trained in martial arts—their sole duty is Zhennan Wang’s safety and occasionally carrying out his orders to eliminate certain individuals. According to Young Master Mingyue, their skills are no weaker than the shadow guards."

The mood among the group grew heavy. Given their current situation, even if the pursuers were merely on par with the shadow guards, let alone elite soldiers, a force of one or two hundred would be nearly impossible to withstand.After a swift journey, the group finally arrived at the cliff halfway up the mountain. Although it was only the mountainside, the peaks in the northwest were indeed quite high. Moreover, it was early winter, and looking down from the cliff at night revealed only a vast expanse of white clouds, obscuring everything below. Staring at the cliff before her, Ye Li turned and asked, "How far is it to the other side?" Mo Hua pondered for a moment before replying, "About fifty to fifty-five meters." Ye Li considered this and nodded, asking, "How is everyone's Light Body Skill? Can we make it across?" Mo Hua nodded. Apart from two shadow guards whose Light Body Skill was slightly lacking, the rest could manage the crossing. Ye Li addressed the two shadow guards, "You can either go down the mountain together or separately. Be careful not to attract the pursuers' attention. If the base is heavily guarded, wait for a while." The two shadow guards hesitated, looking at Ye Li in confusion. She sighed softly and said, "Go quickly. It's just two of you. We’ll be crossing soon, and there’s no point in you staying." Behind her, Mo Hua nodded silently. The two shadow guards bowed to Ye Li before turning and disappearing swiftly into the darkness.

"Alright, let’s prepare to cross. Mo Hua, since you’ve scouted the terrain before, you go first," Ye Li said, turning to Mo Hua.

Without delay, Mo Hua leaped lightly and flew toward the opposite cliff. Once he landed, he became little more than a faint silhouette in the mist from this side. Ye Li waved for the remaining shadow guards to follow one by one. When it came to Zhuo Jing and Wei Lin, however, neither of them moved. Ye Li raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you two trying to do?" Zhuo Jing said solemnly, "Wei Lin and I have seen your Light Body Skill, my lady. You can’t make it across." Ye Li was taken aback and finally let out a helpless, bitter laugh. Had she known this day would come, she would have trained her Light Body Skill to perfection, even if it exhausted her. Her current skill was only second-rate at best, and now, with an uncomfortable sensation faintly emanating from her abdomen, attempting to fly across on her own was nothing short of a pipe dream. Ye Li shot Zhuo Jing a sidelong glance and asked, "Can you take me across?" Zhuo Jing lowered his head and gritted his teeth. "No." A fifty-meter cliff required first-rate Light Body Skill to cross, and carrying another person demanded not just skill but also supreme inner energy to sustain the effort. Wei Lin smiled faintly and added, "I can’t either. So, we’ll stay here with you, my lady."

In the distance, the faint sounds of commotion were already growing louder. Ye Li glared at them in exasperation and snapped, "Nonsense! Are you planning to die with me?"Opposite them, a dark figure descended from the sky and landed on the ground, frowning at the three. "Why haven't you left yet?" His gaze paused on Ye Li, and Mo Hua suddenly remembered that Princess Ding had only been practicing inner energy and Light Body Skill for just over a year. There was no way she could leap such a distance with her current skill. "This subordinate failed to consider properly. Please forgive me, Princess. I will carry you across."

Ye Li smiled at him and asked, "How confident are you?"

Mo Hua remained silent for a long moment before answering gravely, "Twenty percent."

If it were daytime, perhaps he could have managed forty percent. But now, with night falling and thick fog rising, twenty percent was the best he could do.

Ye Li shook her head with a laugh. "So there's an eighty percent chance we’ll fall off the cliff and be smashed to pieces? You go first. I have my own way."

Zhuo Jing and the others would never agree. Wei Lin said, "Then let the Princess go first. It won’t take us much longer anyway."

Mo Hua frowned. "The pursuers are getting close. If they’re truly martial experts, even if we make it across, they’ll track us down."

All three were equally stubborn. Ye Li had no choice but to relent. "Mo Hua and Wei Lin go first. Zhuo Jing stays with me."

She retrieved a coiled rope from her pack and handed it to Wei Lin, who accepted it silently before leaping into the fog toward the opposite side.

As Ye Li secured the rope to a sturdy tree at the cliff’s edge, Zhuo Jing hesitated. "Princess…"

Ye Li sighed helplessly. "Truthfully… I only have fifty percent confidence in this."

The cliffs were uncooperative—their side was lower, while the opposite side was higher. That meant she couldn’t slide across effortlessly but would have to pull herself along the rope inch by inch. And with the baby in her belly, she couldn’t risk any reckless movements.

Just as she finished securing the rope and prepared to move, an arrow shot out from the woods, grazing past her. Moments later, a group of black-clad men emerged, surrounding them at the cliff’s edge.

"Princess Ding? We have no wish to harm you. Please come with us," the leader said, his sinister eyes gleaming with malice and greed.

Ye Li released the rope and replied calmly, "Prince Zhennan of Xiling? The Gold-Clad Guards?"

The man’s pupils constricted. He sneered, "The Princess is well-informed. Since you already know our identities, there’s no need for futile resistance. If you’re injured, we’ll have a hard time explaining to His Highness."

Ye Li arched a brow. "And if I refuse?"

The man bared his teeth in a vicious grin. "His Highness is in a foul mood after Hongzhou. Even if something unfortunate were to happen to you, he wouldn’t blame us. Our prince is a true hero of our time and holds genuine admiration for you. Why cling to that cripple, Mo Xiuyao? Our prince has promised—if you return with us, you’ll be made Princess Zhennan. As for that useless—!"Whoosh! Whoosh! Two sharp sounds pierced the air as two streaks of silver light shot forth, one high and one low, leaving bloody marks on the speaking man’s face and neck. Ye Li glared coldly at the man opposite her and said icily, "If you’re looking for death, I’ll grant your wish!" The man touched the wound on his neck and couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. Hearing Ye Li’s frigid words, a chill ran down his spine, and for a moment, he dared not respond.

"Since Princess Ding refuses to see reason, don’t blame us for being discourteous!" The leader’s expression darkened as he waved his hand and ordered, "Seize Princess Ding!"

The surrounding Gold-Clad Guards surged forward, but Zhuo Jing shielded Ye Li, pushing them back. Across the way, Mo Hua and Wei Lin, now aware of the situation, turned back and joined the fray. True to Han Mingyue’s words, the Gold-Clad Guards were indeed elites whose combat prowess rivaled that of the shadow guards. Outnumbered ten to one, the shadow guards were quickly overwhelmed. Watching as two more shadow guards fell in an instant, Ye Li took a deep breath and shouted, "Mo Hua, retreat with the men immediately!"

Mo Hua didn’t pause, driving his sword through a Gold-Clad Guard’s chest as he replied, "The shadow guards prioritize your safety, Princess. We cannot obey." Ye Li slit another guard’s throat and retreated to a corner, one hand pressing against her aching abdomen. "Do you think this is still meaningful? Retreat!"

Mo Hua didn’t answer, his movements only growing fiercer, making it clear he would defy the order. Ye Li felt a pang in her heart and was about to speak when a figure streaked across the night sky, lunging toward her. She raised her blade to strike, but the figure dodged to the side and grabbed her arm. "It’s me."

Ye Li froze. "Han Mingyue? What are you doing here?"

Han Mingyue looked disheveled, a far cry from his usual composed demeanor. Gripping her arm, he urged, "Hurry! Zhennan Wang is here." Seeing Han Mingyue, Zhuo Jing and Wei Lin exchanged a glance and seamlessly cut off the approaching Gold-Clad Guards, shielding them. "Young Master Han, take the Princess and go first," they said. Han Mingyue nodded, grabbing Ye Li’s shoulder and leaping toward the opposite side.

"Han Mingyue, you have some nerve!" A deep, furious voice boomed from the woods. At the same time, a tangible gust of inner energy shot toward Han Mingyue. Mid-air and weighed down by Ye Li, Han Mingyue barely managed to evade the attack, but his inner energy faltered, forcing him back to the ground. A slash tore through the white fabric on his shoulder, staining it faintly red. Zhennan Wang emerged from the trees, accompanied by Su Zuidie, who had left Hongzhou with Han Mingyue. Her stunning face was alight with triumph and schadenfreude as she smirked at Ye Li.As soon as Zhennan Wang arrived, the ongoing battle immediately ceased. Mo Hua and the others retreated to form a semicircle in front of Ye Li, shielding her protectively. Zhennan Wang gazed at Ye Li, who stood pale-faced behind the crowd, his eyes flickering with complex emotions. Glancing at the corpses on the ground, he nodded approvingly, "Truly worthy of Prince Ding's shadow guards. My Gold-Clad Guards are indeed a notch below."

Zhuo Jing sneered, "Your Highness flatters us. Prince Ding's shadow guards serve multiple roles—how could they compare to the Gold-Clad Guards?" His words were a thinly veiled jab at Zhennan Wang's cowardice, implying that only a fearful man would train a thousand-strong force solely for his own protection.

Unfazed, Zhennan Wang smiled at Ye Li. "You are impressive, far beyond my expectations. If you come to me now, I will let bygones be bygones."

"Your Highness..." Su Zuidie protested with a coquettish whine, but a cold glare from Zhennan Wang silenced her, forcing her to swallow her discontent.

Ye Li regarded the smugly confident Zhennan Wang and smiled faintly. "Your Highness moves swiftly—I am impressed. I assume matters inside and outside Hongzhou City have been settled to your satisfaction. Though... I wonder why Your Highness shows no concern for the hundreds of thousands of reinforcements at the northwestern border?"

Zhennan Wang's expression darkened briefly before he chuckled. "I do worry about the reinforcements. However... being outmaneuvered by a woman is a first for me. Thus... I find you far more intriguing. Moreover... for some reason, I suddenly believe that losing his princess might pain Prince Ding more than losing the northwest. And if this Princess Ding were to become my Zhennan Wangfei..." The more he pondered, the more brilliant the idea seemed, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter. The gloom from his earlier defeat in Hongzhou vanished entirely.

Beside him, Su Zuidie paled at his words, glaring venomously at Ye Li but not daring to speak out of turn.

Ye Li scoffed. "Your Highness is overthinking things."

Zhennan Wang replied leisurely, "Whether I am or not, we shall soon see. Xiao Li, be a good girl and prepare to become my princess."

"Ugh—" Unable to suppress the nausea any longer, Ye Li turned aside and retched against a tree.

The cliffside fell into stunned silence. Zhennan Wang's face turned livid as he stared at the woman vomiting uncontrollably.

Han Mingyue, casually tending to a wound on his arm, remarked cheerfully, "Your Highness, it seems Princess Ding has no interest in becoming Zhennan Wangfei. Why force the issue?"

Wei Lin sneered, "Some toads dare to dream of swan meat—delusional, isn't it?"

None of the Gold-Clad Guards dared speak up. The fact that Princess Ding had vomited at the mere suggestion of becoming Zhennan Wangfei spoke volumes about her disgust. They wisely kept silent, lest their flattery backfire.

Zhennan Wang's face darkened further. With a cold laugh, he said, "Do you think stalling will help? Rest assured, I will spare your lives... so you can inform Mo Xiuyao to attend my wedding ceremony. Seize Princess Ding!"The battle on the cliff resumed once more, but Zhennan Wang had no intention of merely observing from the sidelines. Without hesitation, he lunged toward Ye Li. Zhuo Jing and Wei Lin swiftly moved to intercept him, yet they were effortlessly brushed aside within just two or three moves. Han Mingyue and Mo Hua attacked Zhennan Wang from both sides, but despite having only one arm, his palm strikes were as sharp as blades, forcing them to exert their utmost strength just to barely hold their ground without retreating. Zhennan Wang chuckled coldly, "So-called young heroes, yet you can't even match Mo Xiuyao's skill from his teenage years. Still trying to stop me? Begone!" With that, he struck a palm toward Han Mingyue's chest. Startled, Han Mingyue twisted midair to evade the blow, landing on the ground only to be immediately entangled by several Gold-Clad Guards.

Having dealt with Han Mingyue, Zhennan Wang similarly evaded Mo Hua, reaching Ye Li in just seven or eight moves. Against absolute strength, any flashy techniques were meaningless.

Ye Li flipped her dagger and swiftly thrust toward Zhennan Wang. The violent vomiting earlier and the exhaustion of recent days had not only left her face pale but also caused her to feel her stamina draining at an alarming rate. Zhennan Wang sidestepped, amused as he exchanged a few moves with her before seizing her wrist. "Not bad skill," he remarked. "Pity your inner energy is lacking. Had you trained from childhood, with your talent, you could have ranked among the world's top martial artists. But now—wait, you—!" His grip on her wrist faltered, and his expression darkened. "What a fine Princess Ding you are, utterly devoted to Mo Xiuyao. I will make sure this bastard—"

"Bitch, die!" Su Zuidie, not far away, glared at the scene with a twisted expression. Rolling up her sleeve, she revealed a hidden weapon strapped to her wrist and aimed it at Ye Li. A flurry of silver needles shot toward her like a sudden downpour. Han Mingyue, still locked in combat with the Gold-Clad Guards, paled. "Zui Die, don't!" But it was too late—the hidden weapon had already been unleashed. Without hesitation, Han Mingyue slashed away the guards around him and lunged forward. At the same time, Zhennan Wang turned at Su Zuidie's voice, giving Ye Li the chance to twist her wrist. Her dagger left a bloody gash on his hand, forcing him to release her in pain. Ye Li's foot slipped, and her body teetered toward the cliff's edge.

"Ye Li!"

"Princess—!"

Zhennan Wang reacted swiftly, reaching out to grab her at the cliff's edge. But what met him was the faint smile on Ye Li's lips and the cold gleam of her dagger. With no choice, he withdrew his hand faster than he had extended it. As a one-armed man, this release meant he could no longer catch her. Stunned, he watched the falling woman's smile and her silent words: You... will never harm my child...

A silver dart shot up from below the cliff, and a vivid bloom of blood erupted on Zhennan Wang's chest. As if awakened by the sudden pain, he looked down at the dagger embedded in his chest. Lacking sufficient force, it hadn't struck a vital point. Gripping the hilt, he murmured, "Ye Li..."

"Princess!"

Author's Note: At this point, the female lead is dead. The end... Mwahaha, don't hit me, just kidding~ The basic introduction of this volume is real. Although falling off a cliff is such a cliché, I really got into the flow while writing it. Lili will be fine, I'm considering whether to give her a fortuitous encounter as compensation?